Excavating machines



Dec. 18, 1962 R. v. SPALDING EXCAVATING MACHINES 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 7, 1961 t 0 lIIIIi IiIlliI-il A llllllllllmf I INVENTOR ROBERT M SPALDING 3,068,597 Patented Dec. 18, 1962 assasav EXCAVA'YLENG MACHINES Robert V. Spalding, Salt Lake City, Utah (17213 Beach St., Selina, Kans.) Filed Dec. 7, 1961, Ser. No. 157,629 11 Claims. (Cl. 37-439) This invention relates to excavating machines and more particularly to self-loading excavating machines for excavating downwardly, vertically or at an angle inclined somewhat from the vertical.

An important object of the invention is to provide an excavating machine as above, which is provided with a loading compartment and is adapted to excavate and load excavated material, which loaded material may then be discharged as the load fills the compartment, whereby there is need for fewer movements of the machine to and from the surface for discharge of the excavated material and re-entry of the machine into the cut.

Another important object is to provide an excavating machine as above, which obviates the need for additional space in a cut for elevating means for raising excavated material to the surface as the material is excavated.

A further important object is to provide an excavating machine of rugged design but in which the movements of parts are relatively simple so that space is conserved and mechanical upkeep is reduced.

Additional important objects are to provide an excavating machine in which parts have plural functions thus reducing the number of parts, means is provided to bar the movement of excavated material to portions of the machine where the same would interfere with the proper functioning of the machine, the machine may be swung into operating positions, and there is no complication of oscillating members or linkages.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent during the course of the following detailed description of the invention, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, forming portions of this disclosure, and in which drawings:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of an example of the excavating machine of this invention, suspended in a vertical excavation and in an operative position.

PK 2 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view or" the machine of FIG. 1, but on an enlarged scale.

FIG. 3 is an elevational view, as viewed from the lefthand side of the machine of PEG. 2.

FIGS. 4 to 7 inclusive are vertical sectional views, substantially on their respective lines of FIG. 2.

FIG. 8 is an elcvational View of several barrier members, forming parts of the invention.

FIG. 9 is a top plan view of the members of FIG. 8.

FIG. 10 is an enlarged sectional View, substantially on the line ltl-10 of PEG. 9.

In the drawings, wherein for the purpose of illustration is shown a preferred embodiment of the invention and wherein similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, the letter A designates an excavating machine of the invention, and B a body of material in which the machine A is operating.

The machine A includes a frame it excavating means 3! drive means it for the excavating means 39, for the excavator flight assembly means and for the conveying and discharge means 7% for the excavated material of 'which the means 69 forms a part; load compartment means 14% for the discharged material from the conveying anddischarge means 7%, and support means 115 for the body of the machine A.

The frame 2% preferably comprises two spaced apart main substantially parallel longitudinal side frame wall members 21, facing one another, and a suitable number of transverse structural and support members 22 and 23 bridging the walls 21 and secured thereto as by conventional welds.

Each of the members 21 has an outer face 25 and, extending into each of the walls of the members 21 from their inner faces 26, are elongated guard and guide slots 27, for the accommodation of portions of the drive means 40 for the excavating means 36 and the conveying and discharge means 70 to be subsequently described, and guard and race slots 28 for conveyor chains to be later described. The walls 21 may also contain openings for the accommodation of shafts and bearings to be later described.

The transverse structural and support members 22 and 23 rigidly connect the walls 21 and also provide supports for portions of the drive means 40 as will be later described.

Referring mainly to FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, the excavating means 3% is shown to comprise a plurality of spaced-apart excavator teeth 31 preferably extending radially from and secured to the outer faces of excavator wheels 32 mounted for rotation at the outer faces 25 of the members 21 at the lower end portion of the members 21, and which wheels may be secured, as by keys or splines, to the outwardly-extending portions of stub shafts 33 which are mounted for free turning in conventional bearings carried by the member 21. The inwardly-extending portions of the shafts are rigidly secured to sprocket wheels 41 of the drive means all next to be described.

The drive means 40 for the excavating means 36 and the conveying and discharge means to be subsequently described, includes sprocket wheels 41 rigidly mounted upon the inner end portions of the stub shafts 33, upon which wheels are trained sprocket chains 4;2' which are also trained upon drive sprocket wheels 43, at the upper end portions 'of the members 21, fixedly mounted upon stub shafts 44 carried by conventional bearings which are, in turn, carried by the members 21.

In addition, the drive means 49 includes a motor 45, such as the electric motor 45 mounted at the upper end portion of the machine A upon the transverse structural and support member 23 which includes a substantially horizontally-disposed platform upon which the motor is disposed. Rotatably connected with the drive shaft of the motor is a conventional operative connection 46, such as a belt or chain, between a wheel 47 fixedly mounted on the drive shaft of the motor 45 and a wheel 48 fixedly secured to a jack shaft 49 which extends transversely across the machine A and which is journalled in bearings 5'3. Fixedly mounted upon the end portions of the jack shaft 49 are two driver sprocket wheels 51 over which are trained sprocket chains 52 which are also trained over sprocket wheels 53 fixedly secured to the stub shafts 44.

As a part of the drive means 4d are a suitable number of guide sprocket wheels, such as pairs of the wheels 34 and 55, for the chains42 which may be rotatably carried by pairs of stub shafts 56 and 517, and which are, in'turn, rixedly carried by the side frame wall members 21, and positioned substantially as in FIGS. 2 and 5.

Excavator flight assembly means 60, of the conveying and discharge means 7%, are best shown in FIGS. 2' and 3 and preferably comprise a plurality of flight elements 61 extending across the frame 28, each having a leading cutting edge 62 and trailing'edge 63. The flight elements are hingedly supported, atone of their end edge portions by the chains 42 and hingedly supported at their other end portions by rigid flight members 63' extending across the frame 20, carried by the chains 75 and being somewhat L-shaped in transverse section. The lip'portions 64 enge a belt '71 to be next described.

The conveying and discharge means 7 0 for the excavated material includes an endless, substantially fiat belt 71 without direct power, being moved only by the friction a of excavated material, the lip portions 64 and certain barrier members 91, which will be subsequently described herein in detail. The belt 71 extends across the frame 20, with its side edges disposed substantially as shown in FIG. 5 and forms a support for excavated material.

Tail and intermediate sprocket wheel and pulley assemblies (FlGS. 2 and 5) for the belt 71 and chains 75 are provided, each comprising a substantially smooth-faced pulley 72., mounted for free turning on shaft 73, the end portions of which are carried by the members 21 of the frame 29. This shaft 73 also mounts sprocket wheels 74, and over these sprocket wheels are trained chains 75.

The chains 75 are also trained over sprocket wheels 76 of head sprocket wheel assemblies (FIG. 4) which are fixed to a shaft 77 for rotation in conventional bearings in the members 21.

Intermediate rollers 78 for support and guidance of the belt 7 1 are mounted on shafts 79 which may be carried by the members 21.

Return pulley assemblies for the belt 71 may be provided and comprise the pulleys 80 mounted for rotation on shafts 81 carried by the members 21.

The pulleys 72. and 89 as well as the rollers 78 engage the surface of the belt 71 as the latter rotates, as may be appreciated in FIG. 2, and the pulleys 80 also function to restrain the belt from contacting a wall of an excavated material loca compartment to be later described.

Forming portions of the conveying and discharge means 70 for the excavated material are the several material pick-up and discharge assemblies more fully described in my co-pending application Serial No. 97,406, filed February 21, 1961, for Excavating Machines now Patent No. 3,049,823, and each including a flexible flight belt 85 with one of its ends pivotally carried by the trailing edge portions of the flight elements 61 and the other of its ends pivotally carried by the chains 75, and with the flight belts 85 extending across the machine A and adapted to carry the excavated material, with the belts 85 being somewhat U-shaped or basket-shaped when in use, and finally dumping the excavated material as is believed apparent from the position of the uppermost belt 85 in FIG. 2, whereupon the belt 85 relieved of its load doubles up, substantially as shown by the belt 85 intermediate the length of the machine at the right-hand side thereof and then is extended into a material-scooping position as is the belt 85 at the bottom portion of the machine A of FIG. 2.

Also forming dual-function parts of the means 70 of the machine A, are a plurality of barrier means 90, best shown in FIGS. 4, 5, 8, 9, and 10, comprising a plurality of over-lapping members 91, connected together at the end portions thereof as by pins 92, which also connect the members 91 to the links 75 of the chains 75, the pins having head portions 93 and their shanks 94 extend through suitable bearings 95 carried by the members 91, substantially as shown in FIG. 10, with the free ends of the shank having transveresly extending perforations therethrough for the reception of stops, such as cotter pins 96. The members 91 are stepped at their central transverse axes, as may be appreciated from FIG. 9, and having rounded leading and trailing edges. The members 91 may be of erosion-resistant steel or elastic material, such as web-reinforced rubber or plastic material. As they are attached to the chains 75 in continuous overlapping arrangements, they provide articulated endless barriers against excavated material gaining entrance into the slots 28 (which are, in effect, races for the chains 75), since the members 91 overlap the inner faces of the members 21 and cover the mouths of the slots 28, as may be seen in FIG. 10. In addition, the members 91 assist in the movements of the endless flat belt 71 Where they contact this belt. If desired, the means may also be applied to the chains 42, being attached to the links thereof in a manner similar to that of the attachments of the members 91 to the links 75*, since both chains are conventional conveyor chains.

Load compartment means 101) is provided for the reception of excavated material carried upwardly by the conveying and discharge means 70, whereby an accumulation of excavated material may be made within the machine A for subsequent raising of the machine to a discharge location, or a conventional skip positioned under the discharge mouth of the means 130 for removal of the load of excavated material. This means includes transverse partition walls 1% and 162 (best shown in FIG. 2) spanning the members 21 and suitably secured thereto, as by welding. The upper end portions of the walls 101 and 102 are preferably provided with lips 103 and 194 respectively so as to guard against excavated material dropping against the endless belt '71 and chains 42 respectively, and the walls 101 and 102, together with adjacent portions of the member 21 and a substantially vertical gate 105 provide an upwardlyopening compartment 106 with the gate 105 hinged as at 107 at its upper end. It will be noted in FIG. 2, that the lower end portion of the wall 101 slopes downwardly and outwardly toward the lower end of the gate, which gate closes the discharge month 1138 of the compartment 196 and the construction is such that the lower part of the compartment provides a troughing chute, as may be appreciated from FIGS. 3 and 7.

Latch means 110 for the gate 105 may be of any approved kind but I prefer a conventional spring-loaded latch keeper, for latching the gate closed but operated for release of the gate as by a manually-operated pull line 111, attached to the keeper and extending exteriorly of the body of the machine A, through opening 112.

Support mean for the body of the excavator A for lowering, raising and at excavating positions of the excavator, are shown by way of example in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3. This means may comprise a yoke 116, with the arms thereof secured, as by welding, to the members 21 at their upper end portions, with the bight of the yoke sup ported by a suitable cable 117, operatively connected with a sheave 118 and extending upwardly and operatively connected with a suitable hoist means (not shown) for raising and lowering or swinging the excavator body and retaining it in an excavating position, substantially as shown in FIG. 1.

In operation, after the drive means 40 has been set in operation by energization of the motor 45, the excavator body is lowered or swung into the body of material B to be excavated. The flights 61 are then moving around the periphery of their path defined by the course of the endless chains 42 passing around their respective sprocket wheels. During intervals between passing of a flight element down around the sprocket wheels 41, the teeth 31 provide a digging action cycle. Coupled with the thrust of the machine, material is brought into the bight between the side members 21. One flight assembly means 60 advances downwardly, engages with sprocket teeth of the sprocket wheels 41 and is pulled through the material and upwards. As the flight element moves upward the excavated material is held in the basket formed by one of flexible flight belts 85. As the flight assembly continues upwardly, the excavated material is rolled in against the belt 71 and is prevented from escaping by the confines of the flexible flight belt 85, barriers 91 and inner faces 26 of the members 21. The friction created by the upwardly moving excavated material and the barrier members 91 upon the belt causes the belt 71 to rotate upwardly with the load. Upon the flight assembly means 60 advancing towards and over the sprocket wheels 43, the backward loading upon the respective flight elements causes the then uppermost flexible flight belt 85 to straighten, and the material is spilled out over the head pulley 76 and into the load compartment 106. The respective flight assembly means 60 and the flight belts 85 now continue downwardly to repeat the cycle. Upon filling the load compartment 106, the drive motor '45 is stopped, with the flight assembly means positioned so as to clear interference with the opening of the gate 106. The machine is either hoisted out of the cut 120, such as by a conventional hoisting means operatively connected with the cable 117, to a discharge location or a skip may be positioned for discharge of the excavated material load, after the gate is opened by pull upon the pull line 111. When the load has been discharged, the gate 105 will close by gravity and be latched in that position by the latch means 110. During the upward movement of the excavated material, the endless belt 71 functions as an upwardly-extending movable partition wall for partial support of the excavated material as is apparent in FIG. 2, and preventing excavated material from falling into the space to the right of this belt in FIG. 2 and clogging mechanism particularly at the lower end portion of the machine.

Various changes in the shape, size, and arrangement of parts may be made to the form of the invention herein shown and described without departing from the spirit of the invention or scope of the followin claims.

What is claimed is:

1. An excavating machine including a frame having its longitudinal axis norm-ally extending upwardly; load compartment means car-ried within said frame for housing, at the same time, a plurality of loads of material excavated by said machine, and provided with a discharge mouth and a closure for said mouth; excavating means carried by said frame; excavated material conveying and discharging means carried by said frame for successively conveying loads of excavated material excavated by said excavating means and discharging said loads of excavated material into said load compartment means, with the horizontal plane of said excavated material conveying and discharge means encircling said load compartment means; drive means carried by said frame for drive of said excavating means and said excavated material conveying and discharging means; and support means for said frame for supporting said frame in an upright position for movement of said frame into an excavation for excavation of material, and out of an excavation for discharge of accumulated loads of excavated material from said discharge mouth.

2. An excavating machine including a frame having its longitudinal axis normally extending upwardly; load compartment means carried Within said frame for housing, at the same time, a plurality of loads of material excavated by said machine, at the upper end portion and spaced inwardly of the side portions of said frame, and provided with a discharge mouth and a closure for said mouth; excavating means carried by said frame; exca vated material conveying and discharging means carried by said frame for successively conveying loads of excavated material excavated by said excavating means and discharging said loads of excavated material into said load compartment means, with the horizontal planes of said excavating means and said excavated material conveying and discharge means encircling said load compartment means; drive means carried by said frame for drive of said excavating means and said excavated material conveying and discharging means; and support means for said frame for supporting said frame in an upright position for movement of said frame into an excavation for excavation of material, and out of an excavation for discharge of accumulated loads of excavated material from said discharge mouth.

3. An excavating machine including a frame having its longitudinal axis normally extending upwardly; load compartment means carried within said frame for housing, at the same time, a plurality of loads of material excavated by said machine, at the upper end portion and spaced inwardly of the side portions of said frame, and provided with a discharge mouth and a closure for said mouth at one of said one side portions; excavating means carried by said frame; excavated material conveying and discharging means carried by said frame for successively conveying loads of excavated material excavated by said excavating means and discharging said loads of excavated material into said load compartment means, with the horizontal planes of said excavating means and said excavated material conveying and discharge means encircling said load compartment means; drive means car ried by said frame for drive of said excavating means and said excavated material conveying and discharging means; and support means for said frame for supporting said frame in an upright position for movement of said frame into an excavation for excavation of material, and out of an excavation for discharge of accumulated loads of excavated material from said discharge mouth.

4. An excavating machine including a frame with its longitudinal axis normally extending upwardly and provided with substantially parallel side frame wall members, each having a continuous chain raceway, with the mouths thereof being continuous and facing one another; load compartment means between and carried by said frame members; excavating means carried by said frame; excavated material conveying and discharging means carried by said frame; and drive means for said excavating means and excavated material conveying and discharging means carried by said frame; said excavated material conveying and discharge means including conveyor chains extending through said raceways, flight means for receiving excavated material from said excavating means, excavated material pick-up and discharge assemblies for pick-up of excavated material from said flight means and discharge thereof into said load compartment means, connection means, between said excavated material pick-up and discharge assemblies and said conveyor chains, extending through said mouths, and barrier mean including a plurality of barrier members carried by said conveyor chains, slidably closing said mouths of said raceways, said drive means including a pair of continuous flexible drive members, spaced from and substantially paralleling said conveyor chains, and said pick-up and discharge assemblies being operatively connected with said flexible drive members.

5. An excavating machine including a frame with its longitudinal axis normally extending upwardly and provided with substantially parallel side frame wall members, each having a continuous chain raceway, with the mouths thereof being continuous and facing one another; load compartment means between and carried by said frame members; excavating means carried by said frame; excavated material conveying. and discharging means carried by said frame; and drive means for said excavating means and excavated material conveying and discharging means carried by said frame; said excavated material conveying and discharge means including conveyor chains extending through said raceways, an endless belt rotatably supported by said frame providing a wall for partial support of said excavated material, flight means for receiving excavated material from said excavating means, excavated material pick-up and discharge assemblies for pick-up of excavated material from said flight means and discharge thereof into said load compartment means, said excavated material pick-up and discharge assemblies being operatively supported by said drive means and said conveyor chains, and combined barrier and friction means, connection means, extending through said months, between said excavated material pick-up and discharge assemblies and said conveyor chains, including a plurality of barrier members carried by said conveyor chains, slidably closing said mouths of said raceways and frictionally engaging and urging said endless belt to rotate.

6. An excavating machine including a frame with its longitudinal axis normally extending upwardly and provided with substantially parallel side frame wall members, each having a continuous chain raceway, with the mouths thereof being continuous and facing one another;

load compartment means between and carried by said frame members; excavating means carried by said frame; excavated material conveying and discharging means carried by said frame; and drive means for said excavating means and excavated material conveying and discharging means carried by said frame; said excavated material conveying and discharge means including conveyor chains extending through said raceways, flight means for receiving excavated material from said excavating means, excavated material pick-up and discharge assemblies for pickup of excavated material from said flight means and discharge thereof into said load compartment means, and

barrier means, including a plurality of barrier members carried by said conveyor chains, slidably ClOsing said mouths of said raceways, comprising a plurality of plates, with their end portions overlapping and pivotally connected together at their overlapping end portions, said drive means including a pair of continuous flexible drive members, spaced from and substantially paralleling said conveyor chains, and said pick-up and discharge assemblies being operatively connected with said flexible drive members.

7. An excavating machine including a frame with its longitudinal axis normally extending upwardly and provided with substantially parallel side frame wall members, each having a continuous chain raceway, with the mouths thereof being continuous and facing one another; load compartment means between and carried by said frame members; excavating means carried by said frame; excavated material and conveying and discharging means carried by said frame; and drive means for said excavating means and excavated material conveying and discharging means carried by said frame; said excavated material conveying and discharge means including conveyor chains extending through said raceways, flight means for receiving excavated material from said excavating means, excavated material pick-up and discharge assemblies for pickup of excavated material from said flight means and discharge thereof into said load compartment means, and barrier means, including a plurality of barrier members carried by said conveyor chains, slidably closing said mouths of said raceways, comprising a plurality of plates, with the end'portion of each ofiset from the plane of the central portion thereof, said end portions of one plate overlapping the adjacent end portions of the next adjacent plates and pivotally connected thereto.

8. An excavated machine including a frame with its longitudinal axis normally extending upwardly and provided with substantially parallel side frame wall members, each having a continuous chain raceway, with the mouths thereof being continuous and facing one another; load compartment means between and carried by said frame members; excavating means carried by said frame; exca va-ted material conveying and discharging means carried by said frame; and drive means for said excavating means and excavated material conveying and discharging means carried by said frame, including drive chains; said excavated material conveying and discharge means including conveyor chains extending through said raceways, an endless belt rotatably supported by said frame providing a wall for partial support of said excavated material, flight means for receiving excavated material from said excavating means, excavated material pick-up and discharge assemblies for pick-up of excavated material from said flight means and discharge thereof into said load compartment means, said excavated material pick-up and discharge assemblies being operatively supported by said drive chains of said drive means and said conveyor chains, and combined barrier and friction means, including a plurality of barrier members carried by said conveyor chains, slidably closing said mouths of said raceways and frictionally engaging and urging said endless belt to rotate.

9. An excavating machine including a frame with its longitudinal axis normally extending upwardly; load compartment means carried by said frame; excavating means carried by said frame; excavated material conveying and discharging means carried by said frame for conveying excavated material to said load compartment means;

drive means for said excavated material conveying and discharge means including a pair of endless sprocket chains; said excavate-d material conveying and discharge means including an endless belt substantially paralleling a portion of said first pair of endless sprocket chains, a pair of endless conveyor chains paralleling portions of said sprocket chains and said endless belt a rigid flight member extending across said frame and supported by said second endless conveyor chains and provided with a portion in contact with said endless belt to urge said end less belt to rotate upon rotation of said endless conveyor chains, and flexible flight assembly means hingedly connected at one end to said rigid flight member to move therewith and connected at its other end to said endless sprocket chains to move therewith, said endless belt providing a movable support for excavated material carried by said flexible flight member.

10. An excavating machine according to claim 9 characterized in that a run of each of said endless conveyor chains is disposed closely adjacent the edge portions of a run of said endless belt, and said portion of said rigid flight member is a lip in engagement with said endless belt.

11. An excavating machine according to claim 9 characterized in that a run of each of said endless conveyor chains is disposed closely adjacent the edge portions of a run of said endless belt, and said portion of said rigid flight member is a lip in frictional engagement with said endless belt.

7 References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 328,697 Marquis Oct. 20, 1885 794,526 Maples July 11, 1905 2,710,739 Jourdain June 14, 1955 

